We are a diocese of imagination and spirituality, a place where adventure and prayer blend together as we seek and serve Christ in all people. Throughout our diocesan wide Holy Conversations, the people of the Diocese of Lexington spoke clearly and firmly about what they find life-giving, challenging, and holy about their lives here.

We are a diocese grounded in mission and ministry. Working together in mission and ministry engages people and allows for relationships with others, but, more importantly, this work engenders respect for others, especially those with whom we may have differing life experiences and opinions. The missional passion of the Diocese of Lexington invites and allows us to deepen our respect for the dignity of every human being.

Our mission and ministry, however, is also found in more non-traditional approaches. We see mission work in the programs and responses to the changing needs of parishes and people in our communities. Diocesan programming supports all parishes, but pays particular attention to the needs of those parishes whose attendance numbers and financial budgets are not self-sustaining. In our diocese, all parishes have an important role in mission and ministry and are worthy of investment.

The Leadership Team, comprised of clergy and laity, works with parishes in transition and parish leadership to allow for  healthier search processes, parish disagreements, and other events in the life of a parish which may cause strife and challenge. These programs create space and processes for differentiated leaders who recognize traps like triangulation and sabotage and who are aware of their strengths and weaknesses and given tools to work with their skill set to better serve their parish and diocese. Positive results of this work include a strong sense of clergy collegiality and much greater collaboration between clergy and lay- leadership.

To go and serve the Lord, we know we must be nourished by our worship. People in the diocese are energized and grounded in our liturgical life together, especially those occasions where we gather as a diocese in prayer. From the festive and joyful events like diocesan conventions and ordinations, to the times we gather to remember and mourn our losses, our communal worship deepens our sense of the holy. Our special liturgies remind us that we are part of a larger praying community, and they strengthen our connections with each other through prayer, music, scripture, and the hospitality of the Eucharist. We are proud of how our liturgy in its ancient and modern prayer guides and inspires our lives as Episcopalians.

We learn as we engage in mission, both globally and locally, that we are all needed and necessary to spread the Gospel of love to all people. The work of the Church is not for a particular group of people, but for all. We are a diocese where voices are heard, where space is given for conversation, and where inclusion and acceptance are vital to our community life together. Our connections through our work together are important, and we seek a bishop who continues to nurture the model of collegiality with the diocesan staff, Christ Church Cathedral, and every congregation and ministry throughout the diocese.

As we engage in mission, we learn not only about the community or issue with which we are working, but we also stir our own creative and innovative ideas while we work together to change people’s lives. The people of this diocese are invested in our commitment to seeking and serving Christ in all people. These ministries, programs, and opportunities for outreach and prayer connect us to the deep traditions of the Diocese of Lexington and the culture of Eastern Kentucky while calling us to move forward with new and innovative ways to respond to the needs of others and to worship together. We are well-grounded and adventurous in mission, ministry, and worship, and we pray for a bishop who shares this spirit and can lead us as a faithful pastor and equip us for these ministries, and the ministries we have yet to envision.

In the Diocese of Lexington, we treasure our Episcopal traditions and identity, and we equally value outside-the-box thinking. We work to reframe problems into adaptive challenges and seek fresh solutions. We promote healthy interactions in all relationships through ongoing systems-based leadership development of clergy and laity. Grounded in our baptismal covenant, we strive to provide opportunities for growth and the enrichment of all through our common experience of community.

Creativity and a passion for mission permeates the people and parishes of the Diocese of Lexington. Our ministries provide invaluable services to the people of the area as well as important opportunities to actively engage in mission work for our own congregations and groups from outside the diocese. Reading Camp improves the literacy level of children in Eastern Kentucky and beyond; Camp Haven welcomes the children of prisoners into a loving, safe space; Barnes Mountain Outreach Center serves some of the poorest in Appalachia through home repair, food delivery, and education; St. Agnes House provides economical lodging for patients and their caregivers who have traveled to Lexington seeking treatment for serious illnesses at area hospitals and other medical care facilities. The Cathedral Domain, our beloved camp and conference center, is “the heart of the diocese” and grounds the year-round spiritual formation for children, youth, and adults in the beauty of God’s creation. Through our mission programs we commit ourselves to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the region and to our brothers and sisters in Haiti, Africa, and elsewhere.

Our 35 congregations are critically important for providing an alternative to fundamentalism and a real welcome to all in places where neither might otherwise be available. Each congregation embodies the Episcopal presence in its area with its own unique identity. Our churches are deeply invested in vital local ministries including feeding programs, housing Migrant Head Start centers, hosting life-skills training programs for at-risk youth, supporting college ministries, and providing a safe space for those at the margins. The innovative Network for Pastoral Leadership and the resourceful Small Church Ministry Consortium bring new life and witness to small and median-sized congregations in our diocese and are becoming important new models for the future of our Church.

The Diocese of Lexington encompasses the diverse eastern portion of Kentucky covering the northern, bluegrass, and Appalachian regions. Our churches are in cosmopolitan metro areas, small prosperous cities, and isolated rural towns. Mission House, the diocesan headquarters and home to Church Under the Bridge, English as a Second Language classes, and Reading Camp as well as housing diocesan and community meetings, sits on the edge of the inner city in downtown Lexington. A few blocks away is historic Christ Church Cathedral, whose modern life and ministry touches the diocese and the community at large with arts and educational offerings, rich liturgical celebrations, and mission ministries. In Lee County, the Cathedral of Saint George the Martyr, a wooden Gothic structure designed by the third Bishop of Lexington, crowns the mountain at the Cathedral Domain Camp and Conference Center.

Outside our church doors, you may find mountains or horse farms or skyscrapers. Whatever the landscape, we strive to live out our baptismal vows by worshipping together, serving others, and growing together in the love of Christ.